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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

How To Build WOM From Complaining Customers - MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011

How To Build WOM From Complaining Customers - MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011
MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011 featured as keynote speaker Guy Winch, author of The Squeaky Wheel: Complaining the Right Way to Get Results, Improve Your Relationships, and Enhance Self-Esteem.

[See my interview with Guy, titled Guy Winch: How To Complain & Get Results - The Squeaky Wheel.]

Guy had us mesmerized as he explained How Your Unhappiest Customers Can (Paradoxically!) Help You Foster Fans... if you truly focus on handling their complaints, resolve their problems AND repair the relationship with them.

The implications of his advice are far reaching. Think of all of the situations during which complaints arise: family interactions, with friends, as customers and business professionals. And, yet, when is the last time we've received professional advice or training on how to 'foster fans' and address complaints?

The Complaining Psychology
95% will not complain to a company. They prefer to relay to others excluding those who can fix the problem and will tell an average of 16 friends or acquaintances. Complaints create negative feelings which lead to apprehension, defeatist thinking, feeling helpless and powerless. Better to avoid the source of the complaint and funnel the energy into commiserating with others.

Did you realize that this is a global phenomenon? In fact, I discovered Complaints Choir Worldwide [thanks to Dr. Winch mentioning the Helsinki Complaint Choir].

Unattended Complaints Do Damage To Relationships.
They create a rupture in the "fabric of relationships" affecting trust - which in my mind is the holy grail! If you both handle the complaint and repair the relationship, you build loyalty and greater confidence that you'll listen, and resolve problems in the future.

For all that we dislike complaints, they yield tremendous benefits. The more likely customers are to voice complaints, the lower the risk of attrition and the more likely customers are to share positive word-of-mouth endorsements. Think of them as a free focus group providing early warning of issues and problems. If we know about them, we can fix them, tailor our communications and discover unknown and unmet needs!

How to elicit compaints?
Despite psychological barriers, it's important to look for signs of disengagement. More specifically, changes in business transactions or habits, in voice/tone, in communication style, in social media engagement. The signs are usually in plain site, but you need to have systems in place to alert you. [Interesting detail: bilingual people have both a hot and cold language channel. When I lived in French speaking Africa, my 'hot' language was French. It is now English. The question to ask is which language is more personal?]

Guy Winch, MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011
How To Handle Complaints
It helps to give permission to voice complaints. Ask customers for feedback, using "I" statements in open ended initial questions. For example, "is there anything I could do better?"

How To Repair the Relationship Wound?
You need to handle the customer while fixing the problem. Three elements come into play: an effective apology, open communications about the process and great followup.

An apology is critical and saying sorry convincingly is the hardest part of the work. [Advice: don't interrupt and offer a solution until after the person explains what went wrong. You need to hear it all so you can be authentic.]

To be effective, an apology must include regret and the person's specific feelings. It must also provide emotional validation to match the customer's emotional concern.

Only then can you and should you give your side.

To rebuild trust: 1st promise, then deliver repeatedly. More specifically,
  • Breakdown the process transparently so there are no surprises in what to expect
  • Set time frame for each step and notify each time you deliver
  • Go the extra mile and exceed expectations
  • Promise only what you can deliver [be cautious]
  • Explain and apologize for limitations
  • Get feedback about proposed solution
  • End with apology recap
  • Then, deliver on promises! [cash in on trust]
It's critical to manage your feelings!
Manage your feelings then manage theirs. Realize that the visceral reflexive response is an auto response and manage it. A valuable technique to use is reappraisal or reframing. In so doing, you change the underlying feeling about the situation and reframe it in a more positive light for your customer.

In closing, Guy Winch reminded us how valuable it is to take care of complaining customers. They can become your most loyal word-of-mouth endorsers. Definitely, treasure them since they offer an opportunity to:

1. Repair a relationship.
2. Discover systemic problems
3. Gather information about customers.
4. Increase positive word of mouth/mouse
5. And practice complaint handling skills.

Thanks, Guy. What valuable advice! [And, I really enjoyed meeting you in person.] Be sure, too, to read Veronica Jarski's post on #mpb2b Forum: How to Repair Customer Relationships While Fixing Problems in 3 Basic Steps.]

What is the worst customer complaint situation you've encountered? And what happened as a result? Which of Guy's best practices did you find most helpful?

Friday, June 24, 2011

Practical Simple Marketing in the News - 6/24/11

Practical Simple Marketing In the News
For 6/24/11, here are links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped here together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News.

Simple & Practical Marketing Data

  • Numbers on how Facebook says Likes/Plugins help web traffic fr @socialmedia2day http://ow.ly/5l4R2 #practicalmktr
  • Check out New Mobile Marketing Study fr Content Marketing Institute #cmi http://ow.ly/5l4Yx #practicalmktr 

    Practical Marketing Advice

    • 5 ways to build a sticky Facebook Fan Page fr @DrewMcLellan http://ow.ly/5l4vG #practicalmktr
    • List of 75 best B2B Facebook marketing tips with sources fr @jeffreylcohen http://ow.ly/5l4Cd #practicalmktr
    • From #CMI: step-by-step guide to using Facebook ads for content marketing http://ow.ly/5mqsX #practicalmktr
    • FastCo explains H2 block Facebook face recognition and other privacy settings http://ow.ly/5l5zD #practicalmktr
    • From #CMI: 5 tips to improve headline click-through rate http://ow.ly/5l599 #practicalmktr
    • Have you checked out these 5 LinkedIn Tips? Signal is my favorite http://ow.ly/5l5sG #practicalmktr
    • 25 SMART social media objectives fr @ZoeticaMedia Beth Kantor. Grounding reminders http://ow.ly/5l57o #practicalmktr

      Simple Marketing Inspiration

      • HBR wisdom: we is bigger than me & purpose in life is not to find yourself, but to lose yourself. http://ow.ly/5nlBE Rxns? #practicalmktr
      • Want to apply 'we is bigger than me'? check out @oneforty social media wisdom: http://ow.ly/5nlJs #practicalmktr

        Brands Being Practical With Social Media

        • Forrester announces social maturity as companies understand where they R in social media transformation http://ow.ly/5l5v2 #practicalmktr

        Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News.

        Thank you for reading!

        If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to Simple Marketing Blog via email updates or RSS.

        Best,
        C.B.

        Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

        Tuesday, June 21, 2011

        Human Behavior & Marketing Response: 13 Choice Drivers To Consider

        Human Behavior & Marketing Response: 13 Choice Drivers To Consider
        MarketingProfs events challenge my assumptions. In this case, Nancy Harhut's presentation about Tapping into Human Behavior to Increase Open, Read and Response Rates made me appreciate how much potential  online marketing holds as we get beyond mechanics and fully embrace human behavior.

        Behavioral norms are at the core of our humanity; we are hardwired to behave in a certain way, particularly for decision making. They have even affected the
        phenomenal success of social networks [see BJ Fogg's Persuasive Bathroom Epiphany: MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Mixer 09].

        Furthermore, the average America sees approximately 5000 marketing messages per day; we're constantly bombarded with information. No wonder we look for shortcuts!

        [Nancy referred to Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping, Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2011, Gerald Zaltman, How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market, Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Robert Chaldini, Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition), Ellen Langer, The Power Of Mindful Learning, Robert Levine, The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and Sold.]

        Here are Nancy Harhut's 13 choice drivers or automatic behaviors that people embrace. Imagine applying these to your business to improve the rate with which potential customers interact with and respond to your marketing....

        1. People respect authority. They will scan to determine if they NEED to read. They will defer to people whom they perceive to be authority figures.

        2. Humans are naturally curious. How might you stand out? [e.g., Imagine receiving a Coconut mailer for a medical conference in Hawaii. Bet you would remember that!]

        3. Gatekeepers make very deliberate assumptions. They want to avoid blame. If it looks important, they will assume it is. If they make a decision once, they tend to fall into that pattern.

        4. People look at who and where mail is from.

        5. We’re inclined to touch things.  Interaction increases response rate/engagement.

        6. Our eyes gravitate to certain words.  Eye magnet words: “Free”, announcing, new, finally, soon, introducing [used in high priority content real-estate], you, person’s name

        7. No – really can mean ‘tell me more’.  People buy solutions to problems, so maybe the first contact didn’t connect. Try again.

        8. Some responses are automatic.  For example, “compliance triggers” produce automatic yes.  Coupon or rather dashed line that surrounds coupon will lift readership by 23% regardless of value, telling people 'because' leads to compliance.  Easy, quick, improved will increase product sales.  LONG copy – trustworthy compared to short messages.

        9. People are most interested in themselves.  We lose people when we focus too much on ourselves.  Give people something.  Help people fix a problem. Deliver good news.  Feel superior. Share something that you aren’t supposed to hear.

        10. People make decisions for rational and emotional reasons.  You need to address both sides of argument.

        11. Avoidance of pain.  More powerful motivator than achievement of pleasure.  Loss can be twice as powerful a motivator as gain.

        12. People feel obligated. The principle of reciprocity – we like to pay in kind what someone does for us. We also want what we cannot have. Principle of scarcity: if it's scarce – we want it.

        13. We do what people like us and people we like do. The Principle of Social Proof: we mirror other people’s actions. This is why testimonials are so effective, particularly if:
        • They come from a person similar to the person we are trying to convince – horizontal influence
        • Most convincing if the testimonial suggests. It starts where the prospect is and moves them along.
        • If you don’t use someone like your prospect, use someone your prospect likes.
        By the way, Nancy Harhut is Chief Creative Officer at The Wilde Agency.

        This video of Nancy, despite the introduction in Portuguese, gives you a feel for some of the perspective Nancy offered us during this MarketingProfs B2B Forum presentation.


        Thanks, Nancy, for a thought-provoking session!

        How might you apply your awareness of these behaviors to your communications with customers? What about some of the direct mail or email communications you've received? Where you aware of responding in one of the ways described above? I know I'm going to be paying closer attention!

        --
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        Friday, June 17, 2011

        Practical Simple Marketing in the News - 6/17/11

        Practical Simple Marketing In the News
        Happy Friday! Here are for this week ending 6/17/11 links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped here together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News.

        Practical Marketing Advice


        • How to build a successful rewards loyalty program: 5 tips http://ow.ly/5jQVJ #practicalmktr
        • Tips on how to followup on news releases & story pitches. What is your best practice? http://ow.ly/5ffEe #practicalmktr
        • How are you using LinkedIn Today? @smexaminer shares tips: http://ow.ly/5fI58 #practicalmktr
        • Ad extensions for Google PPC: #mpb2b presentation fr @amandadchaney via @Jchamp86 http://ow.ly/5iWaX Advanced #practicalmktr
        • Want to understand Facebook's newsfeed algorithm? The lowdown on Edgerank http://ow.ly/5iWNo [& http://ow.ly/5iWPV] #practicalmktr

          Simple Marketing Inspiration

          • Lots good advice/insights in 5 social media blunders and how to avoid them. http://ow.ly/5euj8 #practicalmktr
          • Four ingredients for social media success: http://ow.ly/5eutL #practicalmktr
          • Social Media offer oppty to hear *why* customers behave vs. count likes. http://ow.ly/5ffVV #practicalmktr

            Brands Being Practical With Social Media

            • So cool: citizen scientists + social media to help prevent frog extinction http://ow.ly/5jQZ9 #practicalmktr
            • Amazing reference: US Army social media handbook 2011 http://ow.ly/5jQBU #practicalmktr via @marcogiunta
            • Pretty amazing: Morgan Stanley testing social media interaction with clients http://ow.ly/5ffJn TB continued! #practicalmktr
            • R U familiar with this brand story? Mrs. Meyer's "unify, simplify, amplify" - http://ow.ly/5fhBM #practicalmktr

            Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News.

            Thank you for reading!


            If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to Simple Marketing Blog via email updates or RSS.

            Best,

            C.B.

            Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

            Tuesday, June 14, 2011

            Storytelling in Business: Ardath Albee & Contagious Content

            MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011: Storytelling in Business: Ardath Albee & Contagious Content
            I've only just started my MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011 experience with a full day in Ardath Albee's Contagious Content Marketing: How to Plan, Create, and Use it to Catch and Qualify Buyers workshop and already my brain is on fire. Ardath has brought to life the notion of storytelling in business and I can't get enough of it!

            Ardath makes the following points about storytelling in business:

            Storytelling humanizes content.

            Stories are how we justify everything that happens in our lives.

            If marketing is more like storytelling, we can count on more engagement from potential customers.

            A story represents a narrative that educates, entertains, and engages.

            A story should always be told from the buyer's perspective.

            More specifically, the beginning of the story is about the buyer, who becomes aware of a problem, and feels pain escalates.

            The middle of the story is about seeing resolution, encountering obstacles, and finding expertise.

            In the end, the buyer overcomes challenges, solves problems, and emerges as hero of the story.

            To put storytelling into context, "Story gives people enough space to think for themselves." Annette Simmons, author of The Story Factor (2nd Revised Edition).

            Business stories need 7 story elements:

            1. characters: hero, villain, mentor [hero = buyer] [villain = problem, e.g., stakeholders or an obstacle in the way] [mentor shares information, guidance = you!]

            2. setting: vertical, problem, culture [will be specific to environment]. Context motivates engagement.

            3. Plot and theme. This brings in your Persona’s [aka hero's] value proposition:  I need to ____ in order to ______. [For example, I need to improve product development in order to reduce time to market. I need to make employees happier in order to improve talent retention.]

            4. Conflict – who must the hero convince, what has the villain caused, what obstacles must the hero overcome. Need to address all sources of conflict.

            5. Climax – will it be the status quo or change? Will deals stagnate might they move forward?

            6. Resolution – where buyer has overcome obstacles

            7. Dialogue – the words used and how tell story.

            Imagine putting your customer's issues into storytelling terms... Wild, don't you think? At the same time, it really makes you carefully consider - and appreciate - what your customer goes through and inspired you to come up with more relevant solutions to their problems.

            For more perspective, listen to Ardath Albee's recent keynote at DemandCon. The video embedded on her site includes sections about Using Storytelling and the 7 Elements of Business Stories. Click on the video link, listen to Ardath's brief introduction, then click on Watch a Segment. From there, you can select the segments I mention - or listen to all of them.

            Having internalized Storytelling in Business, I'd love to hear how you might incorporate it into your business and your content marketing...

            Note: Thank you, Ardath!

            Friday, June 10, 2011

            Practical Simple Marketing in the News - 6/10/11

            Practical Simple Marketing In the News
            Here, for the week ending 6/10/11, are links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped here together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News.

            Simple & Practical Marketing Data

            • Luv @equalman content RT @servantofchaos: 10 WOW Social Media Statistics; not world of warcraft. Just wow http://su.pr/1KflnP #practicalmktr  

              Practical Marketing Advice

              • If you market with Facebook, critical to think beyond 'like'. What are you finding works best for loyalty? http://ow.ly/5aDxB #practicalmktr
              • Lots of wisdom here on avoiding 7 biggest Facebook Fan Page marketing mistakes http://ow.ly/5cFqD #practicalmktr
              • Lots of #practicalmktr Twitter change afoot: photo uploads, new search features. Detail: http://ow.ly/5aDKJ Reactions?
              • Lovely advice here. The 3 big myths of B2B content marketing http://ow.ly/5cGBR #practicalmktr

                Simple Marketing Inspiration

                • Where R U in adopting social media marketing? Forrester: 5 stages of social media growth http://ow.ly/5aDGq #practicalmktr
                • How to strengthen your customer's experience via social media tools. Fr @marketingprofs Daily Fix: http://ow.ly/5aEaW #practicalmktr
                • Social selling instead of cold calling? Jeffrey Gitomer intervew with Dan Schawbel has me thinking! http://ow.ly/5cFCN #practicalmktr

                  Brands Being Practical With Social Media

                  • How Home Depot is integrating social media with social sales rep. Brilliant! http://ow.ly/55ZfK #retailexp #practicalmktr
                  • Way cool! Rules of engagement from NBA social media war room http://ow.ly/5cCFf #practicalmktr

                  Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News.

                  Thank you for reading!

                  If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to Simple Marketing Blog via email updates or RSS.

                  Best,

                  C.B.

                  Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

                  Wednesday, June 8, 2011

                  25 Flooring Women To Reckon With! FCN Anniversary Issue

                  25 Flooring Women To Reckon With! FCN Anniversary Issue
                  Talk about exciting news!...  Floor Covering News has just published its 25th anniversary issue - dated May 16/23, 2011. It's an impressive 132 page issue filled with milestones recapping the last twenty-five years in the floor covering industry. It also highlights 25 flooring women to reckon with!

                  Check it out by clicking on this link for the digital issue of Floor Covering News' 25th anniversary edition.

                  This issue of FCN includes reference to each of the 25 amazing women who are propelling the flooring industry forward... [And, I am included. Wow!]  Several are women I have interviewed for my Women in Flooring series:


                  Deb Binder was a very early contributor to Flooring The Consumer with her post Putting Women in Their Place - Front and Center.

                  Vickie Gilstrap has contributed color stories and carpet style inspiration to the Carpetology Blog.

                  25 Flooring Women - FCN Anniversary Issue
                  I've worked with Dana Teague because of Hanley Wood's Surfaces Education Advisory Council.

                  And, I've desperately wanted to tour Emily Morrow's floor covering showroom for visions of the future of flooring.

                  Other women included in FCN's 25th Anniversary edition are:

                  Georgina Sikorski
                  Kathy Young
                  Ann Wicander
                  Jane Walker
                  Donna Mudd
                  Jeanne Matson
                  Kimberly Matsoukas
                  Ann Knight
                  Andrea Greenleaf
                  Terry Gray
                  Patricia Flavin
                  Patti Faisan
                  Rosanna Chiadez
                  Lisa Browning
                  Pam Bowe
                  Maryanne Adams

                  I am honored to be in such company!

                  Congratulations and Thank You, Floor Covering News!

                  Best,

                  C.B.

                  Friday, June 3, 2011

                  Practical Simple Marketing in the News - 6/3/11

                  Practical Simple Marketing In the News
                  I hope you've had a good week. Here are links and resources shared on Twitter and tagged #practicalmktr grouped here together in Practical Simple Marketing In The News for this week ending June 3rd, 2011.

                  [By the way, what do you think of Home Depot's 'social sales rep'?]

                  Simple & Practical Marketing Data

                  • Per @MarketingSherpa report, social media is maturing as legit source of ROI http://ow.ly/55WSu #practicalmktr

                    Practical Marketing Advice

                    • Here's #practicalmktr example on how to use social media/twitter to generate leads http://ow.ly/55YvO
                    • Nurturing leads & increasing sales conversion. It's about bldng trust! http://ow.ly/547Qn #practicalmktr
                    • The Holy Grail: FB Like is easy. Loyalty takes work. http://ow.ly/55X3g How R U creating engagement? #practicalmktr #retailexp

                      Simple Marketing Inspiration

                      • 5 tips for creating engagement & vibrant online communities: http://ow.ly/55X9p #practicalmktr
                      • Nice! Social ROI as KPI. Digiday interview w @SocialSteve http://ow.ly/55VNU #practicalmktr

                        Brands Being Practical With Social Media

                        • How Home Depot is integrating social media with social sales rep. Brilliant! http://ow.ly/55ZfK #retailexp #practicalmktr
                        • Conversation w yr car or TV show w/ 'the' HOF? Toyota & salesforce.com make it real... http://ow.ly/55YX8 #practicalmktr

                        Here's a link to previous editions of Practical Simple Marketing In the News.

                        Thank you for reading!


                        If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to Simple Marketing Blog via email updates or RSS.

                        Best,
                        C.B.

                        Image credit: “#PracticalMktr” Wordle by CB Whittemore

                        Wednesday, June 1, 2011

                        Unhappy Customers, Lead Generation, Guy Winch, MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011

                        Unhappy Customers, Lead Generation, Guy Winch, MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011
                        Imagine my delight when I discovered that Guy Winch, author of The Squeaky Wheel: Complaining the Right Way to Get Results, Improve Your Relationships, and Enhance Self-Esteem, would be a keynote speaker at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011 in Boston, June 14-15.

                        You see, I did a blog interview with Guy on Flooring The Consumer in a post titled Guy Winch: How To Complain & Get Results - The Squeaky Wheel.

                        That post forms the basis for my recent MarketingProfs article titled How an Unhappy Customer Can (Paradoxically) Help Your Business.

                        Intriguing, don't you think? And very relevant, too. I'm looking forward to hearing Guy and meeting him in person.

                        Christine B. Whittemore: How an Unhappy Customer Can (Paradoxically) Help Your Business
                        As you may know, I'll be presenting with Kipp Bodnar from Hubspot about How to Generate More Leads With Social Media. It's been intense preparing [especially given a hard drive crash that wiped out one brilliant version of my presentation], but I'm looking forward to generating discussion about a topic that perplexes many savvy marketers and business people.

                        I am eternally grateful to several wonderful friends - Bill Buyok, Pam Kozelka, Valerie Fritz, Mike Klassen and Michael Cohn - who shared with me their lead generation experiences.

                        If you haven't yet registered, you can do so by clicking on this link which will take you to the MProfs B2B Forum 2011 site with details on speakers and topics.  When you register, be sure to enter discount code SPEAK100 to save $100 on the registration fee.

                        While you are at MProfs B2B Forum, plan on attending a live #Blogchat with Mack Collier. Here are details: Live #Blogchat is Coming to the Marketing Profs B2B Forum!

                        And, if you can't make it in person, don't fear! There's a virtual option!

                        Click on this link for more information from Ann Handley, MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer. [Try the SPEAK100 discount code; it should work.]

                        I'll definitely share with you what I learn about Unhappy Customers, Lead Generation, Guy Winch all at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2011 and would love to include your perspectives.

                        Any chance you'll come?

                        ---

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